Karafenk Castle

Karafenk Castle is a fortress structure located within the boundaries of Hasanbeyli district in Osmaniye Province, Türkiye, originally used for surveillance purposes. The castle can be reached by following a dirt road approximately 7 kilometers east from Hasanbeyli district. Strategically positioned, it controls the routes extending north toward Bahçe and east toward Fevzipaşa.

^{Karafenk Castle (}Osmaniye Governorate⁾

Karafenk Castle is situated close to Hasanbeyli district. Traveling north from the castle leads to Bahçe, while continuing east leads to Fevzipaşa. However, the roads in these directions are not well maintained. The location of the castle is strategically significant for monitoring and controlling movement through surrounding passes.

The castle is a simple structure with towers at each of its four corners. The towers are approximately five meters high, with the tower in the northwest corner being larger than the others. The two bastions on the western wall are believed to have been added in later periods, though no definitive information exists on this. Most of the stones of the northwest tower have fallen away, but a conical structure rising from the foundation is still visible.

Karafenk Castle was built using black stone. The castle walls contain recesses intended for wooden beams that supported the roof. The structure is understood to have been two stories high and originally had a wooden roof. No original architectural elements from the castle have survived to the present day.

^{Karafenk Castle (}Osmaniye Governorate⁾

The exact date of the castle’s construction is unknown, and various opinions exist regarding its origin. Its original name from antiquity or the medieval period has not been preserved. While its plan resembles those of Tumil and Kütüklü Castles, its masonry differs significantly from those structures.

On the western slope of the castle, a cemetery contains tombstones bearing motifs reminiscent of human figures. These tombstones are described as having been crafted with simple workmanship.

^{Tombstone (}Osmaniye Governorate⁾